Access Points
An Institutional Theory of Policy Bias and Policy Complexity
By: Sean D. Ehrlich
Access Points develops a new theory--Access Point Theory--about how democratic institutions influence policy outcomes, arguing that the more points of access institutions provide to interest groups, the cheaper lobbying is, and the more lobbying will occur. This creates more complex and biased policy as policymakers insert specific provisions that benefit lobbyists. Access Point Theory explains bias and complexity in trade and tax policy and environmental and banking regulations around the world, and the book provides scholars with a powerful tool to explain how political institutions matter and why countries implement the policies they do.
AI Overview
"Access Points" by Sean D. Ehrlich is a scholarly work that explores the influence of democratic institutions on policy outcomes. Here is a comprehensive overview of the book:
Key Themes
Institutional Theory: The book develops a new theoretical framework, known as the Access Point Theory, which examines how different points of access within democratic institutions shape policy decisions. This theory argues that the more points of access available, the more diverse and potentially biased policy outcomes can be.
Policy Bias and Complexity: Ehrlich delves into the complexities of policy-making, particularly in areas like trade and tax policy, environmental regulations, and banking regulations. The book explains how these different points of access can lead to biased policies due to the varied interests and influences involved.
Global Perspective: The work provides a global perspective, analyzing how different countries implement policies based on their institutional structures. This comparative analysis helps scholars understand the broader implications of institutional design on policy outcomes.
Plot Summary
The book does not have a traditional narrative plot but rather presents a theoretical framework and empirical analysis. It begins by introducing the Access Point Theory, which posits that the number and nature of access points within democratic institutions significantly influence policy outcomes. The theory is then applied to various policy domains, including trade, taxation, environmental regulations, and banking.
Ehrlich examines how different institutional arrangements (e.g., legislative, executive, judicial) create multiple access points for various stakeholders to influence policy-making. This multiplicity can lead to both more inclusive and more biased policies, depending on the specific context and the interests represented by each access point.
Critical Reception
While specific reviews are not provided in the search results, the book has likely received attention from scholars in the fields of political science, public policy, and institutional theory. The development of a new theoretical framework and its application to diverse policy areas would likely be of interest to academics and researchers in these fields.
The book's critical reception would likely focus on its originality in conceptualizing the role of access points in shaping policy outcomes, as well as its empirical rigor in testing this theory across different policy domains. Scholars might also critique the book for its limitations in generalizability or the complexity of its theoretical framework.
Availability
"Access Points" is available in both paperback and hardcover formats from Oxford University Press. It can also be accessed through various academic databases and online platforms like RedShelf.